Handling Too Many Emails and Speed-Reading on Screen

A key principle is to realise that your inbox is NOT your to-do list.  The reason you are keeping your emails in your inbox is because you either haven't figured out what you need to do with it OR you do know what the action is but you haven't done it.

If you haven't decided what you need to do about a particular email, it's likely that you will keep opening it, looking at it and then closing it because you're not yet ready to deal with it.

Here's a process to clear your inbox:

Step 1)  Delete Junk.  Decide whether you need to read the e-mail before you open it. Some e-mails are clearly junk. Other e-mails may be of some interest, however, you must be ruthless in deleting things that you do not have time to read. Becoming an effective reader is not just about reading faster, but also about making good decisions regarding the use of your time.

Step 2)  Note any actions.  Is there an action associated with this email?  If so, write down what you need to do on a to-do list and include any relevant information.  I use Outlook tasks for this.  If the action will take less than 2 minutes, simply do it.  If you need to delegate the action, forward it on!

Step 3)   File relevant information.  If there is no action associated, why are you keeping it?  Delete it if it's not needed.  However, you may be keeping the email because you need the information, such as a meeting location or phone number.  Transfer the phone number to your contacts list/phone memory and the meeting location to your diary or calendar.  File any emails that you need to keep for work/legal reasons.

Reading on a computer screen

Many people find it more difficult to read on the computer screen than on printed material. This is partly due to the habit many people have of printing out long documents. Also, looking at a computer screen is slightly more tiring on the eyes due to the illumination of the screen. This is not an excuse to print out all long documents!

Here are a few tips to help you to read quickly on a computer screen:

* Preview the document by looking at each page for a few seconds to get to grips with the layout and key themes.  This will aid your understanding and allow you to read faster.
* Use the mouse and cursor to help to guide your eyes across the line you are reading.
* Use the page up and page down keys, as well as the arrow keys, to help you to browse the material.
* Adjust the brightness and contrast of your computer screen to a comfortable level.
* Focus on which parts of the document or e-mail you need to read, and just read those.

Finally, if you really do need to print something out, only print it when you are ready to read it. Print only the sections you have decided to read. Make notes or take the relevant action. If you have made good notes, there should be no need to keep a printed copy of the material. Recycle the printed material once you have finished.